RYAN GETS HERO’S WELCOME – Seung Min Kim reports for the hometown paper: “Once again, Rep. Paul Ryan was the Republican rock star on Capitol Hill. In a members-only meeting, one House Republican after another waited in line to snap a photo with their party’s vice presidential nominee. Cheers echoed through the House chamber as Ryan entered for the first time since being named Mitt Romney’s running mate. Even some House Democrats clapped as Ryan came to cast his vote. Surrounded by an army of aides, Ryan arrived around the Capitol around 4:30 p.m. He sidestepped policy questions from the press as he walked briskly in and out of Speaker John Boehner’s suite of offices, where the informal meet-and-greet with lawmakers was being held. …

-- “Inside the conference room, lawmakers mingled over soft drinks, largely veering away from policy talk as they caught up with the House Budget Committee chairman, members said. He gave his congressional colleagues tidbits of life on the campaign trail, such as telling Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) that he hadn’t driven a car in a month.

-- “Ryan was on the Hill Thursday to vote on a critical measure to keep the federal government funded through next March. Democrats were more than eager to greet Ryan on his first trip back to Congress, rolling out web videos and floor speeches designed to highlight his controversial budget blueprint and his plan to revamp Medicare. … ‘It’s nice to see Paul Ryan back here in Congress,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said before haranguing Ryan over Medicare and taxes. “It will be even nicer to see him back here as a full-time member in January.’” http://politi.co/QXh8EC

--Despite the hoopla surrounding Ryan’s homecoming, it was still a pretty low-key affair, report the Washington Post’s Felicia Sonmez and David A. Fahrenthold: “[T]here was no joint news conference. No embrace on the Capitol steps. The hugs happened in private, and in the camera-free zone of the House floor. It was as if the candidate and his adoring colleagues — for all their mutual admiration — weren’t sure about being photographed together.” http://wapo.st/Ppkr1X

DEMS TIE GOP CANDIDATES TO RYAN – POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt writes: “Democrats are trying to figure out how to make Paul Ryan the down-ballot game-changer they thought he’d be when Mitt Romney picked him as his No. 2. Their latest tack: Using Ryan’s mug. In their most aggressive effort yet to turn the vice presidential nominee into a central character of the race for the House, Democrats for the first time using Ryan’s image in TV ads as a means of tarnishing their GOP opponents.

--“The ads are aimed at sharpening their depiction of Republicans as steadfast supporters of Ryan’s controversial budget plan and Medicare overhaul. Party strategists say the commercials go farther than many of the previous ads they ran, which merely mentioned the budget but did not include the Wisconsin congressman’s picture. The latest offensive will come Friday, when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee releases a commercial casting New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle as a Ryan pawn.” http://politi.co/PpewtN

ODD COUPLE: THE McCONNELL-PAUL ALLIANCE -- POLITICO’s Manu Raju reports: “The two men couldn’t be more different on paper: One is a five-term septuagenarian, career politician and the embodiment of the Republican establishment; the other a 49-year-old tea party firebrand who never before held elected office and the de facto leader of the libertarian movement. But behind the scenes, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and freshman Sen. Rand Paul are charting anything but divergent paths. They are methodically forming a tight-knit alliance to bridge the divide between the sparring factions of their party, an effort that could boost their own political careers in the process.” http://politi.co/U1wozf

SESSIONS HOLDS ‘COME TO JESUS’ TALKS WITH VULNERABLES – POLITICO’s Anna Palmer reports: “Rep. Cliff Stearns. Rep. John Sullivan. Rep. [YOUR NAME HERE]. For House Republicans, there’s little public or private worry they’ll lose the majority in November, but GOP leaders are determined to make sure members realize they’re still in danger of becoming the next object lesson in electoral politics. Top Republicans are meeting with potential problem children this week, having one-on-one talks on the House floor, adding star power to the more than 150 fundraisers set for this month and putting all members on notice about the importance of being prepared for the November election at their weekly meeting. Their message: Shape up, or find yourself out of a job in January. Just like Stearns and Sullivan, two members who got knocked off by surprisingly strong primary challenges this year.

-- “National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions had a “Come to Jesus” talk to Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on the House floor Tuesday. King, who is in a hotly contested race against Democrat Christie Vilsack, has already been the beneficiary of an endorsement and recent visit from Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is visiting King’s district on Thursday. Sessions isn’t taking chances. He told POLITICO he’s talked to several lawmakers this week, including Rep. Francisco Canseco (R-Texas), particularly about being prepared for third-party groups getting involved as the election gets closer.” http://politi.co/RWgpSL

-- Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan scoop that Speaker Boehner will meet with Sessions’ today to discuss the Texas Republican’s future at the leadership table. “Texas, with the largest Republican House delegation, could be left out in the cold because Sessions has already served two terms as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.” http://politi.co/Qfyzy7

PELOSI: JEFF LANDRY WHO? – When asked about the situation in Libya and Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.) -- who called for stripping aid to Egypt and Libya – the House minority leader said she didn’t know him. Here's her exchange with reporters:

PELOSI: First, let me just ask you a question. You said there were a number of Republicans who were critical of the President. Are we talking about Mitt Romney? Who are we talking about and what is their criticism? Because I can't address your question.

REPORTER: There was Mitt Romney, there was Jeff Landry yesterday, from Louisiana. There were a few others.

Pelosi: I don't know who that is. Who is that?

REPORTER: He is a Congressman.

PELOSI: I see, okay. I missed his significance in all this. So, he is a Congressman from Louisiana.

QUICK READS

The House passed legislation to avoid the defense sequester, but it will go nowhere in the Senate. http://bit.ly/UaNdoA

SCARBOROUGH ON ‘MORNING JOE’: "I will say for the jackals running around Capitol Hill saying: 'Do not fund Egypt or Libya moving forward,' seriously, please, go inside. Wrap yourself in bubble wrap. Stay away from sharp objects. You are a danger to long-term health and national security of the United States of America."

McCAIN URGED ROMNEY TO GIVE FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH THIS WEEK – In a roundup of Mitt Romney’s top foreign policy advisers, the AP’s Kasie Hunt captures an exchange between the former and current GOP presidential nominee: “McCain, the party's 2008 nominee who endorsed Romney during the primaries, is an important surrogate on veteran's issues and speaks directly with Romney on national security, defense and foreign policy issues. He and Romney spoke Wednesday, after Romney's initial statement, and the former presidential candidate told this year's nominee to deliver a formal speech on foreign affairs. When Romney said his campaign was working on one, McCain recommended that Romney give the speech before the week was out.” http://apne.ws/RQQx6m

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GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @Kalbi_Kid and @texpat.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The House is in at 9:00 a.m. and will vote between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the No More Solyndras Act, which would limit loan guarantees for new energy projects.

The Senate reached an agreement late Thursday night to have a series of roll call votes on a veterans jobs bill next Wednesday. The chamber then would take up the six-month stopgap measure to fund the government.

AROUND THE HILL – Rep. Lloyd Doggett speaks on immigration at noon at the House Triangle.

THE ROGERS REPORT: HOUSE EASILY PASSES SIX-MONTH CR – “Coming full circle, the Republican-controlled House approved an across-the-board increase in domestic appropriations Thursday as part of a six month stop-gap bill to keep the government operating past Oct. 1 and into March next year,” David Rogers reports. “The sums are small but the symbolism huge, and the 329-91 vote captured the wild, often dysfunctional swings of this Congress in trying to deal with budget matters and the nation’s growing debt crisis. Just months ago, the same House GOP — led by party’s new vice presidential nominee, Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan — was charging up the hill, bent on blowing up the 2011 debt accords by cutting tens of billions more from domestic appropriations. Yet the 29-page continuing resolution, or CR, marks a complete turnaround. It restores the higher spending targets set in the Budget Control Act — and with such haste and pique — that billions will go out without any distinction between the merits of different programs.” http://politi.co/PfJxlI

GOP FED UP WITH BERNANKE – Ben White, author of POLITICO’s Morning Money, reports: “Conservative anger at Washington more and more is raining down on a new target: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, a mild-mannered professor, baseball fan and native South Carolinian whose most controversial decision before taking over at the central bank under President George W. Bush was deciding what kind of bagels to serve at Princeton economics department meetings.

-- “The charge: Bernanke has presided over the most ‘radical’ actions ever taken by the Federal Reserve, a campaign of persistent money printing conservatives believe will eventually lead to higher inflation while punishing those who depend on interest on savings for their day-to-day lives, a group that includes millions of retirees on fixed incomes. On Thursday, Bernanke further inflamed many conservatives by saying the central bank would engage in a third round of what is known in wonk circles as ‘quantitative easing,’ an unconventional Fed policy that sounds complicated but in fact is not. It just means the central bank will print reams of new money to buy lots of assets in financial markets in an effort to keep cash flowing and interest rates low and get people buying stuff like houses and cars.” http://politi.co/QXKgvg

TRANSITIONS: SHAHEEN AIDE TO BERLINROSEN -- Jonathan Lipman, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s communications director, has joined BerlinRosen Public Affairs as a vice president in the firm’s National Issue Advocacy practice in Washington. Before working for Shaheen (D-N.H.), he headed communications for Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.). Prior to arriving on the Hill, Lipman spent nearly a decade working as a reporter in Washington and Chicago, where he was chief City Hall and investigative reporter for the Daily Southtown. He also wrote for the Associated Press, Las Vegas Sun and Santa Fe New Mexican.

FRANK OPPOSES OPENLY GAY REPUBLICAN – AP: “Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is arguing that the election of Republican congressional hopeful Richard Tisei would set back efforts to expand gay rights — even though both Frank and Tisei are openly gay. Frank, who is backing fellow Democrat and incumbent Rep. John Tierney in the state’s closely watched 6th Congressional District race, said electing Tisei would ensure Republicans retain control of the U.S. House. That would effectively block any progress on gay rights legislation, Frank said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. Tisei is hoping to oust Tierney. ‘The fact that Richard Tisei is openly gay is a good thing.’ Frank said. ‘The problem is that it is of no use to us.’” http://bo.st/Skgyvg

D.C. GETS ITS FREDERICK DOUGLASS STATUE – “Perhaps nowhere in America do the people of the District of Columbia feel less respected than in the District of Columbia. …” Jennifer Steinhauer writes in the New York Times. “But this week lawmakers approved a measure permitting a statue of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, which has been holed up for years in a District government building a mile away, to be placed in the Capitol, as soon as President Obama signs the bill. The Frederick Douglass Residence, open as a museum, sits not far from the Capitol.” http://nyti.ms/Sk7Iha

MORNING SCORE THEFT:DID REHBERG GIVE THE FINGER TO THE DSCC'S TRACKER? A minute after a Democratic tracker yelled a question at Montana Republican Denny Rehberg about his ties to lobbyists, he appears to flip the bird as he enters a Republican office on the Hill. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee gave the footage to BuzzFeed's Zeke Miller, who quotes Rehberg's spokesman saying he was scratching his head. The DSCC will send a press release later this morning that cites a 2006 Roll Call story to say he has a history of doing this. Video (fast forward to the final 10 seconds to see for yourself): http://goo.gl/uMhMf.

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Ryan Clarke was first to correctly answer that in 1890, Rep. Buck Kilgore – with a cry of “Make way for Liberty!” – kicked down a door, striking an entering member, and fled the House floor. He earned the nickname “Kicking Buck.” http://bit.ly/Oum03o

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Jon Deuser offers a related question: What late senator used to cry "Make way for liberty" as he moved through crowds in the Capitol in his wheelchair? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.

WEATHER – A sunny start may give way to a few clouds later in the day, according to ABC7’s Brian van de Graaff.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/

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About The Author

Scott Wong covers transportation for POLITICO Pro, and authors The Huddle, POLITICO’s popular morning tipsheet on Congress. He was a congressional reporter with the publication from 2010 to 2012.

He reported from Tucson, Ariz., after the deadly shooting rampage that severely injured Rep. Gabby Giffords and helped break a story about Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill’s private plane that led to her admission she owed more than $300,000 in state property taxes.

He got his professional start in journalism covering local government for two small newspapers in his native San Francisco Bay Area. He later became a staff writer for The Arizona Republic, where he covered the Arizona statehouse and Phoenix City Hall.

After graduating from UCLA, he spent a year teaching English in a rural mountain village in Japan. He is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, and lives with his wife and daughter in Washington.